The disparity between the Champions League and Europa League will be reduced
after Europe’s top clubs agreed to distribute the €2.24 billion (£1.63
billion) prize pot more evenly from next season.
While the Champions League will still provide the biggest riches, the current
average payment, which is 4½ times more than that for playing in the Europa
League, will fall back to a ratio of 3.3-to-one under what the influential
European Clubs Association (ECA) and Uefa have described as a “revolutionary
distribution mechanism”.
“A greater proportion of funds than ever before will go to Uefa Europa League
participants, to participants in the qualifying rounds and to clubs in
medium/smaller championships,” the bodies said.
“The concept means more funding for all, because the new percentage-based
system ensures that every stakeholder will benefit proportionally from the
competitions’ continued growth.”
The change was agreed after a 65 per cent increase in prize money, fuelled by
lucrative new broadcast deals. In the UK, BT will pay £897 million to show
the Champions League and Europa League live for the next three seasons, more
than double the current deal, signed in 2011 with BSkyB and ITV.
The 32 Champions League clubs qualifying for the group stage will share €1.2
billion each season, up from €957 million this season. Each club is
guaranteed a €12 million entry payment instead of €8.6 million. The
champions of Europe wi

Fresh from leading New Zealand to the Cricket World Cup final, Brendon
McCullum has signed for Birmingham Bears to assist the defence of their
NatWest T20 Blast title.
The 33-year-old has agreed a seven-match deal with the reigning champions and
will join up with the Bears following New Zealand’s short tour of England.
The New Zealand captain should be available for half of the qualifying group
games with his first match scheduled to be against Lancashire Lightning, the
side Birmigham beat in last year’s final, at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday
26 June.
“The Birmingham Bears had a great season last year, including winning the
NatWest T20 Blast, and hopefully I can make a big contribution and ensure
that we can progress in the tournament,” McCullum said.
“Edgbaston is a fantastic ground to play at and hopefully it will be rocking
for the big F

Kevin Sinfield, the former England captain, will sacrifice one final season at
Leeds Rhinos for a cross-code switch to Yorkshire Carnegie in November.
The 34-year-old was originally contracted to play the 2016 First Utility Super
League campaign with the Rhinos but will try his hand at union over two
seasons, most probably at fly half, as Carnegie try and achieve promotion
back to the Aviva Premiership.
“At the end of the season I will be playing rugby union for Yorkshire
Carnegie,” Sinfield said this afternoon. “I have been here since I was 13.
The club means so much to me but at some stage it had to end. It seems to me
the logical decision going forward.”
Sinfield, who needs three more points to become only the fourth player in
league history to reach 4,000 career points, is one of sport’s ultimate
one-club men.
He has been Leeds captain s